Forsythia flower shortage

From the books Forsythia only flowers on older wood. 1st year new wood will not flower so next year you should have a fine display.
Prune as the flowers are fading (before they fall) or you may be too late to prune. By pruning later you can interrupt the flowering cycle, hence no flowers the following year. Just light prune this year, if you feel you need to, then sit back and enjoy next years display

thanks Maple that would make perfect sence, i'll just give it a gentle hair cut this year as the flowers fade and see what happens!

Some shrubs react to a really heavy cutting back by throwing up lots of very tall, spindly growth (water shoots). Sometimes it is better to tackle an overgrown shrub over three years, taking out a third of the old wood each time, rather than in one "glorious encounter" (quote from the late, great Christopher Lloyd)

I did exactly the same as you with my first Forsythia - don't worry, it'll grow back strong and flower beautifully next year. I now go with Andrew and just take out a third of the old wood.

I CUT MY FORSYTHIA BACK HARD AT THE END OF FLOWERING LAST YEAR AND IT SEEMS TO BE DOING OK,HOPE YOU HAVE THE SAME LUCK AS ME ..SEEYA.

thank you everyone, and what you have said andrew about 'water shoots' would make perfect sense as it did grow back very leggy. i think i will do as advised and just give it a very light prune as the flowers fade and see what happens next year!

Andrew - Christopher Lloyd had such a way with words! He could conjure a mental picture in a couple of sentences what it takes the rest of us a page to do. You made me smile with that quote :o )